


Press Any Key to Begin

by Comp_Lady



Series: Streamer AU [1]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:35:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27789109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Comp_Lady/pseuds/Comp_Lady
Summary: On the first day of freshman year Vernon Roche and Iorveth, long time rivals, discover they have been placed together in the dorms. Shenanigans will ensure.
Relationships: Iorveth/Vernon Roche
Series: Streamer AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033104
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Press Any Key to Begin

“I shouldn’t have decided on a bloede dh’oine university.”

It’s an abrupt statement to start a stream with. Iorveth watches as chat kicks up a fuss. Most asking what he means and isn’t today the day he moved into his dorm? He scoffs. “That’s the problem. Temeria University assigns roommates, and they paired me with Vernon fucking Roche.”

Chat loses their minds.

**Raccoonsateme** : oh shit!

**endreagad1k** : no no i call bullshit

**UnicornDrowner:@endreagad1k** Nah Roche mentioned it on twitter earlier, he’s been rage subtweeting for a couple hours now

**widdlesawsage** : lololololol

**MarkDNutz** : That’s fucking hilarious

**Peony_Pocket** : Oh no! I’m so srry!

**scoiatellme** : one of yall going to end up dead before semester is done

**endreagad1k:@UnicornDrowner** well shit

**scoiatellme** : going to stab each other while ur sleeping

**RedThorne11** : is there someone you can talk to? Get a new roomie?

“Already tried that,” Iorveth says. Eye scanning the chat. “They said they wouldn’t move either of us unless it was an emergency.”

It’s a balm to absorb the chat’s outrage on his behalf. As much as his rivalry with Roche has become part of his brand this… well, it’s shit. For so many reasons. Absolute shit. The last person he had expected to walk in was Vernon Roche. They’d stopped, staring at each other for what felt like several minutes. Roche stood frozen in the doorway, Iorveth holding clothes he’d just pulled from his suitcase. What followed when they broke out of their staring contest was ugly. Roche threw an insult. It devolved rapidly from there, insults and arguing that became quite the spectacle of the entire floor. Drawing a crowd before a housing official and the RA finally interfered. Denying both their attempts to get a new roommate. Eventually, Roche had flung his bag onto the unclaimed bed and stormed out. He hadn’t returned yet, and as far as Iorveth is concerned that is just fine.

“If we had one of those apartment-style dorms it would be… well it wouldn’t be fine. It’d still be better than this at least.”

A few people express confusion, more are sympathetic. One response prompts a laugh from Iorveth.

“ _‘It must be like living in a sardine can,’_ yeah.” Iorveth drags the word out. “That’s one way to describe it. There is maybe a two-foot wide space between the beds. That’s it. If he were sitting at the desk behind me we’d constantly be at risk of bumping each other’s chairs.” They’re going to be living on top of each other. Already an uncomfortable prospect when Iorveth had no idea who his roommate would be. With Roche it’s going to be unbearable.

It’s as if the mere thought summons the human. Roche kicking the door open just to drop a box with a loud thud. Tossing a glare in Iorveth’s direction before leaving again.

“Oh great, he decided to move in after all.”

♦

**MalMalMal** @MaladyMayhem

Why @Iorveth is right to be angry over his dorm mate assignment and why @BlueStripesRoche needs to sit down and shut the fuck up, a thread…

**MalMalMal** @MaladyMayhem

Roche used to be the person to beat in Temerian and international tournaments. Both solo and as a part of @TheBlueStripesTmrian. A man named Foltest (yeah some of you already know where this is going) hand fucking picked him from some nothing backwater local competition and-

**MalMalMal** @MaladyMayhem

-fucking hauled him into the spotlight. Foltest spent a lot of time and money on Roche's endeavors. Got him into every tournament and helped Roche form The Blue Stripes and then managed that team. So what changed? What knocked Roche down from the top of the esports heap?

Iorveth

**MalMalMal** @MaladyMayhem

Iorveth started in the elven run tournaments. They’re much smaller and have an almost non-existent turnover rate though. Long lives, you know. If you want to compete in tournaments with fresh blood each year you need enter human-run tournaments, and that is just what Iorveth did.

**MalMalMal** @MaladyMayhem

For as good as Roche is?

Iorveth is BETTER

He entered solo tournaments and joined the Flotsam Scoia'taels and they WIPED THE FUCKING FLOOR with Roche and The Blue STripes for 3 seasons. The facts are the facts, even if some people hate it

and people do hate it

**MalMalMal** @MaladyMayhem

Foltest. It is no secret that he's a racist dickbag

But two years ago he did something big. Something that various officials were all to happy to ignore until Iorveth, Cedric, and Ciaran aep Easnillen very publicly left FS, citing the toxic and racist environments in Temerian -

**MalMalMal** @MaladyMayhem

-esports tournaments and the various moments of harassment from Foltest. The backlash was huge and it prompted officials to investigate. It's never been revealed exactly what Foltest said or did but it must have been bad for those 3 to quit and for Foltest to lose his place in-

**MalMalMal** @MaladyMayhem

-the Temerian esports community. Management, coaching, all of it. Foltest had to fuckign disappear in the backlash.

And yet Roche defended him.

Claimed there was no proof of the elves' claims against his mentor. And he has stuck to those guns ever since. Defended Foltest

**MalMalMal** @MaladyMayhem

But Malady, I hear you say, Roche has never said or done anything racist himself!

and??

To this day he vocally defends Foltest, citing him as a great mentor. Other members of The Blue Stripes have a history of being racist and of course Roche won't speak against them

**MalMalMal** @MaladyMayhem

I don't know about you but I find it suspect that someone who isn't racist is so willing to rub shoulders and be friends with those who are. If I were Iorveth I wouldn't want to live with that sort of person either.

♦

What sort of shit luck is this?

Roche just stomps his way through the courtyard, ignoring the looks he gets from other students. Last goddamn person he ever expected to be paired with for a dorm room was that elf. From the moment Iorveth first appeared on the professional gaming scene in Temeria he had gotten under Roche’s skin. Had somehow managed to push every button he had without even trying.

He had thought he would be free of the elf when he left the Flotsam Scoia’taels. The fallout afterward and the claims they made against his mentor aside. The elf practically disappeared from the tournament roster. And Roche was fine with that.

Leave the elf to whatever he was planning to do with his life.

He couldn’t be that lucky though, could he? First Iorveth started popping back up in solo competitions. Causing his fans to lose their shit every time he was announced. Now finding out that he was roommates with the elf. Roche groans and digs his phone out of his pocket. Dialing the number at the top of his recent contacts. It rings once, twice.

“What?”

“My roommate is the fucking elf!”

Roche can practically hear Ves roll her eyes. “Which elf? There are a lot of elves in the world.”

“Iorveth! That’s who!”

“Is that somehow a problem?”

Roche splutters, coming to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. A person runs into him, cursing as they stagger past him. Roche pays no heed. Gaping blindly into the middle distance while Ves sighs into his ear.

“Ves, the elf _hates me.”_

She mutters something that Roche can’t quite make out.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Ves chirps. “So what? Neither of you can be an adult about this?”

“I am being an adult.”

“Uh huh, so where are you right now?”

Roche pauses and glances around. He has no godsdamn idea. “Fuck.”

“I bet you never even bothered to unpack, just stormed out without a word.”

“Um…”

“Oh for fucks sake. Did you pick a fight with him?”

“I didn’t… look I didn’t fucking start it, he—”

“Oh yeah, and you kept yourself perfectly behaved?”

“What was I supposed to do? Just roll over and take his bullshit?”

Ves sighs, “What happened exactly?”

“I walked in and the elf—”

“He has a _name,_ Vernon.”

“—was unpacking or something. We just kind of stared at each other for a moment. Then I uh… I don’t remember who-” Roche clears his throat, “we started arguing and it attracted a bunch of attention. The RA and one of the housing officials. Half of the dorm it felt like. Eventually I just walked off and now I’m… wherever the fuck I am. The housing bitch denied us getting new roommates, so I’m fucking stuck with the elf. There’s nothing I can do.”

“You can fucking pull your big boy pants up and deal,” Ves says.

“Every fucking day?” Roche huffs.

There’s a moment of silence. The kind that Roche has learned to dread from Ves. It means she noticed something he didn’t.

“Who started it?” she asks. Her voice laced with suspicion. “You said you didn’t, but really, who started the fight?”

Chewing on his lip Roche turns a corner at random. He wouldn’t really say that he started it. In his opinion.

_“Vernon.”_

“I didn’t-” Roche flinches.

“What did you say?”

“I- Look I didn’t mean anything by it—”

“Oh Melitele’s tits.” Something slams in the background on Ves’ end of the line. Roche sighs glaring at a mannequin in a shop display. “What did you say, Vernon?”

“I said-” Roche pauses to glance around “-that ‘I didn’t want to room with some knife-ear.’” He keeps his tone hushed. Hoping the few people milling past don’t hear him.

“What!?” Ves explodes.

Roche jerks the phone away from his ear. It doesn’t stop Ves, her voice still heard loud and clear. Enough for Roche to get looks from those passing by.

“Do we have to have this conversation?” he interrupts.

“Yes! Again, apparently, because I know I’ve talked to you about this already! Multiple times! You asshole!”

Roche isn’t sure how long he listens to Ves. And he does listen… or at least tries to. It feels like hours, and she eventually gets him to turn around and find his way back to the dorm. To actually unload his shitty car and move in properly. She’s not there to stop him from glaring at the elf as he drops his things.


End file.
